According to the evidence in the Collin County case, Warterfield broke into a home on Dec. 9, 1989, took a sleeping 9-year-old girl from her bed, and carried her outside with a pillowcase over her head. Warterfield sexually assaulted the girl in a grassy area and then disappeared.

After the attack, the girl spat into the grass and onto the pillowcase. Police recovered the pillowcase, which showed the presence of semen. Full DNA testing was done in 2010. Results showed the stain on the pillowcase to be a mixture of DNA belonging to the girl and Warterfield.

Earlier this year a Dallas County jury gave Warterfield a life sentence in a similar case involving an attack on a 7-year-old girl. Under a 1989 law, he would have been eligible for parole after 15 years. Because the conviction in Collin County was stacked, Warterfield must serve all of his Dallas County sentence before he can start accruing time on the Collin County conviction, according to the district attorney’s office.

Top Picks

ArchivesAbout this blog

About this Blog

Criminal justice reporters, editors and invited guests provide news and analysis impacting Dallas-area police, courts, fire and other public safety issues and entities. Readers are encouraged to join the conversation.